Creamy Turkey with Rice Using Christmas Leftovers

My Creamy Turkey with Rice is a delicious Thanksgiving or Christmas leftovers dish that I make on repeat after holiday meals. The recipe is super flexible and works well if you use ham instead of turkey too. Another idea is to use half turkey and half ham. Whichever option you choose, you and your family are sure to enjoy this hearty, flavourful dish.

I always say that I look forward to the leftovers from Christmas dinner almost more than Christmas dinner itself. There’s nothing like a good turkey sandwich or a warming and delicious dish simply thrown together with all the bits and pieces from the big day that you have left in the fridge.

This Creamy Turkey with Rice recipe has been part of our family for years. It is perfect for when you are getting down to those little bits and pieces of turkey or ham that are not big enough to stand alone but are far too delicious to waste.

Tips for Making Creamy Turkey on Rice (or Creamy Ham on Rice)

Use whatever vegetables you have on hand. I like the addition of fresh mushrooms and peppers, but if all you have is leftover vegetables, you can easily substitute those. They won’t require sautéeing though, and can just be stirred through with the meat and frozen peas.

You can leave out the frozen peas if you have lots of leftover vegetables.

Feel free to use semi-skimmed (2%) or skimmed milk to make the sauce.

Serving This Christmas Leftovers Dish

While the recipe calls for rice, if you find you have a lot of leftover mashed potatoes you can always serve the creamy turkey or ham and vegetables over them instead.

Totally comfort food, totally easy and on the table in less than 30 minutes. Just what a busy holiday cook needs – and you are avoiding food waste by making good use of your leftovers too!

Creamy Turkey With Rice – Printable Recipe

Created by: April J Harris

Deliciously Easy Christmas Leftovers Dish

Course Main Dish

Cuisine Canadian

Servings 4

Print

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Prep Time 30 minutes mins

Ingredients

 

US CustomaryMetric

 

1x2x3x

• 1 tablespoon mild olive oil or any mild vegetable oil
• 1 large onion, peeled and finely chopped
• 1 cup sliced mushrooms
• 1 red or green pepper, de-seeded and chopped in slices or small pieces
• 2 tablespoons flour
• ½ cup chicken, vegetable or ham stock
• 2 cups milk you may not need it all
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce OR 1 tablespoon sherry or Madeira
• 1½ cups leftover turkey or ham – or both – chopped into bite size pieces
• ½ cup frozen peas
• salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
• cooked rice or potatoes to serve

Instructions

• Heat the oil in a frying pan over medium heat.
• Sauté the onion, stirring frequently, for three to five minutes or until it has begun to soften and become translucent.
• Add the mushrooms and peppers and cook, stirring frequently, until they begin to soften.
• Sprinkle the flour over top of the vegetables and stir through.
• Cook for a minute or so, stirring constantly.
• Stir in the chicken stock, stirring constantly until it begins to thicken.
• Add the milk, a bit at a time, stirring after each addition until the sauce thickens. Do this until you have a lovely creamy sauce.
• Add the Worcestershire sauce or sherry and stir to mix through.
• Stir in the meat and the frozen peas.
• Cook for about four minutes, stirring frequently, until the meat heats through and the peas are cooked. Add a bit more milk if the sauce becomes too thick.
• Taste for seasoning and add salt and pepper if necessary.
• Serve over cooked rice or mashed potatoes.

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